While American audiences must endure summer snoozefests starring ’80s action heros rehashing their glory days, a number of East Asian studios are filling the void with a graphic reimagining of the genre. The bloody jewel atop this brutal cinematic crown is Merantu Film’s The Raid: Redemption. It’s Old Boy meets Man from Nowhere times a thousand.
The film follows a 20-man Indonesian SWAT team as they unwittingly conduct an illegal raid on a heavily fortified Jakarta apartment complex that’s been annexed by a vicious gang lord for use as his personal hotel and safe house. But when the mission goes sideways, the cops find themselves trapped in a maze of halls and stairwells, hunted by overwhelming hordes of armed thugs whose sole goal is their complete extermination.
However, for the team’s new rookie, this house of horrors becomes a veritable smorgasbord of close quarters combat. Because when death lurks behind each door and window—even hidden within the walls—the most mundane household items become potentially lethal weapons. [iTunes, Google Play]
